GSS handball men make history as the first Greenlandic team to participate in an international club tournament.
Then it worked.
The handball club GSS from Nuuk raised enough money to participate in North America and the Caribbean’s answer to the Champions League, which starts in Las Vegas today, Friday. National handball champions from Mexico, Puerto Rico, the USA and Canada are playing for a place in the Club World Championship.
And now a Greenlandic team is participating for the first time ever.
– We will do everything to win the tournament, and we have heard a little about the other teams. The American team, the California Eagles, is a team that has come together from different places. So it will be a professional team in a way that we will play against, says chairman and player for GSS handball Nuka Bilo Heilmann to KNR.
The California Eagles, who are defending champions of the tournament, include Greenlandic player Minik Dahl Høegh on the team. They have also hired professional Spanish coach Dani Gordo, who has a long resume as a coach for clubs in various countries.
GSS starts the tournament with a rest day.
Semifinalist
The Nuuk team will be in action on Saturday, where they will play against national champions from Puerto Rico, and the group’s toughest opponent, the California Eagles, awaits in Sunday’s match.
– We have trained hard and have also done a lot of work to raise enough money to go, says Nuka Bilo Heilmann.
– We are therefore very grateful to those who have contributed financially to our participation, says Nuka Bilo Heilmann.
GSS has flown directly from Nuuk to New York and subsequently flown via Chicago to Las Vegas.
– It’s much better to fly directly. We previously had to travel to Denmark first to get to the USA. It’s a bit of a tough journey, but we’re now rested and ready, says Nuka Bilo Heilmann.
The top two teams from both pools will advance to the semi-finals, which will be played on Monday. The placement matches will be played on Tuesday.
The winner of the tournament advances to the Club World Cup, which will be held in Egypt from the end of September.